101 Petals
by A-Dream's-Nightmare
Summary: 101 petals fall from the tree. 101 petals are saved and cherished, for these are our memories. Pairings such as NaruHina, SasuSaku, InoShikaTema, NejiTen, TsuJira, and MUCH MUCH MORE! Leave a review of oneshots and couples you want to see!
1. NaruHina: LOVE STORY

_**WOOT! I got really bored while listening to some music and I thought about how fun it would be to write stories based on them. So here's my first attempt at an anthology. FLAMES ARE MORE THAN WELCOME!**_

Pairing: NarutoXHinata

Era: Medieval times

Song: _"Love Story" _– Taylor Swift

* * *

The Queen, Tsunade, the granddaughter of the First King, loved to host these parties. It was a passion of hers to throw ridiculously uptight balls with the most prominent figures of Konoha. At least that's what everyone was led to believe. In truth, Tsunade _hated_ social occasions, it was in fact _Shizune_, her lady-in-waiting that had great fun planning these occasions and seeing how successful they were. But this time, she had something a little bit different in mind.

"Tell me again why _we_ have to attend this unnecessary event?" Nara Shikamaru asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow at the Queen's lady-in-waiting. However, no matter how much he, Uzumaki Naruto, Aburame Shino, and Akimichi Chouji argued and pleaded, the soldiers of Konoha were forced to attend Shizune's ball.

_We were both young when I first saw you_

_I close my eyes_

_And the flashback starts_

_I'm standing there_

_On a balcony in the summer air_

_See the lights_

_See the party, the ball gowns_

_I see you make your way through the crowd_

_And say hello, little did I know…_

His eyes were wide behind his fox mask. Of all things, Shizune wanted to throw a _masquerade_ ball! Not only were the soldiers being subjected to such social events, they were forced to wear ridiculous masks at the same time. While the others refused viciously, Naruto thought it was fun to wear a mask; it was like All Hallow's Eve. But at the moment, he was thankful that no one could see his shocked face behind the fox mask.

Every prominent family was to attend these balls; he's already met up with his best friend, Uchiha Sasuke, and his wife, Uchiha Sakura. He's heard stories about the Hyuuga clan, but he's never seen one. So Sakura took it upon herself to tell him when the Hyuuga clan arrived on the scene. Quite frankly, he found it rather boring as she introduced each and every prim and proper Hyuuga (including his team captain, the jackass Hyuuga Neji). But as the last Hyuuga showed up, Sakura had a particularly evil smile on her face.

"Who is she?" he asked in a breathless tone, never taking his eyes off of the innocent beauty standing at the top of the stairs. She had arrived last, led by (her apparent cousin) Neji, with a shy and nervous expression on her face. She glanced around nervously at everyone, rooted to her spot on the top step. Her pastel white ball gown flowed around her, making her take the appearance of a pure and heavenly angel.

Green eyes glittered behind Sakura's pink half mask," _That _is Hyuuga Hinata, the heiress to the Hyuuga clan."

"Hinata…" Naruto repeated, testing the heavenly name on his own tongue, loving how her name rolled easily out of his mouth. It felt simply beautiful and pure and he wanted nothing more than to see her smile always. Before he even knew what he was doing, he left Sakura's side and found himself criss-crossing the ballroom, trying to get past the masses of dancing couples. All he could think about was reaching that raven-haired angel.

Soon, he stood at the bottom of the staircase, with nothing left but ten stairs separating him from the shy beauty. She looked down at him, clutching her white mask to her chest, not having the courage to put it on. He smiled his brightest smile at her, feeling his heart soar when she offered a small one back. In a matter of seconds, he swept up the stairs til he stood a mere two steps before her.

He bowed lowly, fully aware that he could not wipe his grin from his face no matter how hard he tried. He just felt so…_happy_ to be near her. Had he been more mature, he would've realized this was love at first sight. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her blush bright red. "Good evening, Lady Hinata," he spoke to her, smiling so brightly that he didn't doubt that it would challenge Rock Lee's signature smile," If I may be so bold as to ask, may I please have the pleasure of dancing with you?" His heart joined the clouds when she smiled and nodded.

They spent the whole night together, dancing with only each other, sitting at one of the many tables, sharing stories. He told her all about the Konoha army and what it was like to work directly for Queen Tsunade. He eventually coaxed a few stories out of her, learning her favorite things, her favorite childhood memories, and about her strict family. The entire time, he never noticed the stark glare he was constantly receiving from her overbearing father…

_That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles_

_And my daddy said stay away from Juliet_

_And I was crying in the staircase_

_Begging you please don't go and I said_

_Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone_

_I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run_

_You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess_

_It's a love story, baby, just say yes_

It was forbidden. Not by the world, no, the rest of the world supported the two of them with joy and happiness. It was clear for the world to see that Naruto brought Hinata out of her shell, and Hinata's quiet personality toned down Naruto's own rambunctious attitude. No, it was not the world that forbid the two from loving each other. It was Hyuuga Hiashi, the ruling head of the Hyuuga Clan, Hinata's father.

"He is not fit for you, Hinata," the stoic clan leader stated matter-of-factly, glaring down at his oldest daughter with cold, hard eyes," You are the heir to the prestigious Hyuuga clan; he is of lowly birth and a mere soldier of all things. Not even a general."

"He's a lieutenant," she said quietly, flinching when he glared harder at her," And he's not lowly. The Uchiha clan approves of him, even Uchiha Sasuke and Sakura agree."

"The Uchiha's are biased in their opinion," Hiashi said harshly, making her flinch much to Naruto's dismay," It is a known fact that the three of them served as a team in the Konoha army; it is well known that they are acquaintances."

Naruto gritted his teeth, enduring Hiashi's insults and disapprovement, but he could only take so much. He clenched his fists," Leave Sasuke and Sakura out of this. Both are well respected and they worked hard for it."

"Uchiha Sasuke was born the son of the Uchiha Head, Uchiha Fugaku," Hiashi pointed out.

"But not Sakura," Naruto cut in angrily," Sakura was a soldier just like me, with no clan or family. The Uchihas did not stop the teme from marrying her, so why should _you_ stop me from loving Hinata? Because I never will. I love her and I always will."

"Out," Hyuuga Hiashi ordered in a quiet voice, though it was obvious he was trying very hard not to lose his temper. He shook with pure fury and pointed a shaking finger towards the door," Get out of my home. You are not welcome here."

Clearly seeing the killing intent in the experienced General, Naruto did not have to be told another time. Giving Hinata a quick smile and a goodnight on his way out, he was gone.

_So I sneak out to the garden to see you_

_We keep quiet 'cuz we're dead if they knew_

_So close your eyes_

_Escape this town for a little while_

_'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter_

_And my daddy said stay away from Juliet_

_But you were everything to me_

_I was begging you please don't go and I said_

_Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone_

_I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run_

_You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess_

_It's a love story baby just say yes_

These late night escapades always left her adrenaline rushing and her heart pounding in her ears. Each and every night, she told herself that she shouldn't be doing this. Yet every night, her heart would take over and rational thought was forgotten as she saw his bright smile.

"Hinata," the familiar voice of the one she loved whispered quietly from her window. With a dainty smile on her face, she raised her head towards the exuberant blonde that she loved with all her heart. He crouched on her windowsill with that smile of his that she lived to see. His smile spoke volumes of his love for her, but she knew there was more underneath than what he was already showing. There always was and he was continually proving how much he loved her and how far he would go for her.

"Naruto," she said breathlessly, feeling as if she might faint at the mere sight of him.

"Neh, don't faint Hinata," he spoke worriedly and rushed to catch her before her knees gave out. A little out of breath, she lied in his arms, looking up at his smiling face. She offered one back.

"You're so adorable," he said, leaning down to tickle her nose with his own," Are you going to continue fainting every night for the rest of our lives? I love it; it makes you so cute, Hinata."

Feeling all of her blood rushing to her face, all she could do was simply nod her head.

"U-umm, what do you have planned for tonight, Naruto?" she asked nervously, trying hard not to faint again. Last night, Naruto had taken her to a beautiful lake somewhere on the Uchiha Estates. They sat on the dock for most of the night, talking and just being with each other. It all had been so romantic and Hinata had a sneaking suspicion the idea mostly belonged to Sakura. The pink-haired woman was a die-hard romantic.

Instead, Naruto shook his head," No, I just want to stay here with you all night, Hinata. You need sleep since we've been going out every night." His face blushed red as he continued," And I just want to lay beside you tonight and watch you sleep. You're like an angel when you're sleeping, Hinata."

If Hinata had not felt close to fainting before, she most certainly was now. Yet somehow she managed to keep her composure and smiled up at him.

"Hai," she nodded with a sweet smile on her face," I would love that, Naruto."

And so the star-crossed lovers lied beside each other for the rest of the night. Hinata rested peacefully in the curve of his hard body, feeling his strong arm drape protectively around her as he pulled her close. He buried his nose in her hair and took a deep breath of her sweet scent. And they fell asleep like that. Early the next morning, Hinata was expecting him to leave quietly before the rest of the household awoke and found him there. But she was surprised to be gently shaken awake in the wee hours of the morning. He had woken her to say good morning and to tell her he loved her one more time. By the time he had leaped from her window again, she was fast asleep with sweet dreams of their wedding day.

_Romeo save me, they try to tell me how to feel_

_This love is difficult, but it's real_

_Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess_

_It's a love story baby just say yes_

_Oh oh_

_I got tired of waiting_

_Wondering if you were ever coming around_

_My faith in you is fading_

_When I met you on the outskirts of town, and I said_

Nara Ino and Uchiha Sakura were not two women most men wanted to deal with. Even on good days, the two of them could be quite the load of trouble, if allowed to do so. The only ones who could ever deal with them were their husbands. But both by different means of course.

"You can't just keep going behind her father's back, Naruto," Ino bobbed the other blonde over the head when he told her about his recent visit to the Hyuuga household," If you ever want to spend a lifetime with her forever, you're going to have to come out sometime and fight for her."

"I don't know…" Sakura cut in, murmuring thoughtfully," They could always elope… Itachi was saying he would elope if he ever found the right woman for him. It would all be sooo romantic!" As usual, the well known hearts appeared in her eyes as she thought of her two good friends eloping off into the sunset. Well, they all could expect the Uchiha going to her husband later that night and demanding to elope and renew their wedding vows that very night. And knowing Sakura's stubbornness, it would happen, one way or another.

"They're not eloping," Ino bobbed her best friend over the head much like she did to Naruto," And neither is Itachi, so get that idea out of your head." Turning back to Naruto, she got that look on her face that gave the proud Konoha soldier nightmares," Now, if you love Hinata with all your heart, you would fight for her. Fighting for your love is more romantic than _eloping_. Go confront Hyuuga Hiashi and get your wife, damnit!" And with that, she kicked the blonde soldier in the behind in blatant gesture to get him to hurry it up.

At the Hyuuga household, Uzumaki Naruto ignored the curious looks from the servants doing their daily chores. He walked right past the guards towards Hyuuga Hiashi's office. (Actually, he _may_ have had to knock them out on the way in.) Taking a deep breath, he stuck his hand in his pocket and clenched his hand around the small box within. The object gave him strength and courage and his heart swelled within his chest. Putting on a brave face and an even braver heart, he pushed open the doors and stepped in.

_Romeo save me, I've been feeling so alone_

_I keep waiting for you, but you never come_

_Is this in my head? I don't know what to think_

_He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring_

_And said…_

Hinata didn't know what to say. Ino had told her to come to the dock by the river that Naruto had taken her to. But as she arrived, it was not the other blonde and the rosette who were there to greet her. Instead, her love stood at the end of the dock next to her cousin and her father. As she walked up to him, with worry and confusing lining her face, she was utterly shocked when the man she loved more than anything in the world dropped to one knee. He looked up at her with eyes as blue as the sky and held out a small box to her. With that smile that she loved so much on his face, he told her the words coming straight from his very heart.

_"Marry me Hinata_

_You'll never have to be alone_

_I love you and that's all I really know_

_I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress_

_It's a love story baby just say yes"_

_Oh oh oh oh_

_'Cause we were both young when I first saw you…_

_-----------------------------------------------------_

"Little brother, where are you and Sakura going at this time of night?"

"We're eloping!"

"…Do I want to know?"

"No. Just don't ask. We'll be back by tomorrow."

_#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#$%#%#$%%_

**Whew! That was a long one. That story has been in my mind for weeks, ever since I listened to Taylor Swift while watching Naruto. I hope you loved reading it as much as I did writing it. Please review! I LOVE YOUALL!**


	2. JiraTsu: Whiskey Lullaby

Pairing: JiraiyaXTsunade

Era: modern day shinobi Konoha (alternate ending)

Song: _"Whiskey Lullaby" _– Brad Paisley

* * *

_She put him out_

_Like the burning end _

_Of a midnight cigarette_

_She broke his heart_

_He spent his whole life_

_Trying to forget_

_They watched him drink_

_His pain away_

_A little at a time_

_But he never could_

_Get drunk enough_

_To get her off his mind…_

Looking at him now, she remembered when they were just children. He had pined after her for so long, but she was Tsunade. She did not have time for boys or dating until she came across the one known as Dan. For a glorious, happy, but short time of her life, Tsunade was happy and in love. But it was not meant to last. After Dan's death, her beloved teammate emerged as her best friend, seeking only to comfort and consol instead of seeking dates.

But he still loved her; she could see that now. He loved her so much that he gave up his love, if only to make her happy again. But she could not love him back. She could not love him like how she loved Dan. He pretended to not know of her knowing of his excessive drinking habits. To put how excessive it was, he drank more than she did. She pretended not to know, telling herself that it wasn't her business; she did not love him. But that was all a lie.

_He put that bottle to his head_

_And pulled the trigger_

_He finally drank away her memory_

_And life is short_

_But this time it was bigger_

_Than the strength he had_

_To get up off his knees_

_They found him with_

_His face down in a pillow_

_With a note that said_

_"I'll love her 'til I die."_

_And when they buried him_

_Beneath the willow_

_The angels sang a whiskey lullaby_

_(la la)_

The fool had gone and got in a fight with the Leader of Akatsuki. Being headstrong as he was, he faced them all on, ready to take on the most powerful men in the world.

He died of severe blood loss and poison. They never quite discovered how he managed to escape with so many injuries. But he never made it home. He had taken shelter in an abandoned cabin in the woods and took his final breath on a rickety old cot. He only had enough life in him to write down six words on the back cover of one of his precious books. Then he laid it upon his heart as he closed his eyes for the last time.

She was in her office when the ANBU returned with their report. She did not know he was dead; she did not know that he would not come home. She sent him on that recon mission with total faith in him

The ANBU quietly walked up to her desk and placed the crude note in her hand instead of the report she was expecting. He told her they were his dying words and then he left her to grieve.

_The rumors flew_

_But nobody knew_

_How much she blamed herself_

_For years and years_

_She tried to hide _

_The whiskey on her breath_

_She finally drank_

_Her pain away_

_A little at a time_

_But she never could_

_Get drunk enough_

_To get him off her mind…_

She was never the same after that day. She was quiet, sullen, and drank even more than he had. Everyone knew her pain and saw the changed in her, but none knew of how much her heart was broken. No one knew of the hitai-ate in her desk drawer, never picked up, but always dusted off. No one knew of the note with six words under her pillow at night. And no one knew of the picture of his face that she would clutch onto every night and cry herself to sleep…

_She put that bottle to her head_

_And pulled the trigger_

_She finally drank away his memory_

_Life is short_

_But this time it was bigger_

_Than the strength she had_

_To get up off her knees_

_They found her with_

_Her face down in the pillow_

_Clinging to his picture for dear life_

_They laid her next to him_

_Beneath the willow_

_While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby_

_(la la)_

______________________________________________________________________________

**Before you ask, NO, Tsunade did NOT commit suicide. But she always imagines what it would be like to be with him again in the afterlife and has considered the idea. She always visits his grave/memorial just to be with him. I'm sorry it's such a sad song, but I felt this pairing was just ****perfect**** for this song. If it makes you feel any better, I cried while writing this one-shot. I got quite emotional; my brother now thinks I'm an emotional freak…**


	3. Team7: Closer to Love

Pairing: Team 7

Era: modern-day Konoha

Song: _'Closer to Love'_- Mat Kearney

* * *

_She got the call today_

_One out of the grey_

_And when the smoke cleared_

_It took her breath away_

_She said she didn't believe_

_It could happen to me_

_I guess we're all one_

_Phone call from our knees_

_We're gonna get there soon_

Never in a million years did she expect something like this to happen. Never had she dreamed of picking up the phone; of hearing that voice; of feeling her heart stop beating. She fell to her knees as the phone dropped out of her cold hand. The world fell silent around her, yet she stared into nothingness, trying to comprehend these new and terrifying facts.

She didn't hear them shouting her name; didn't hear the loud THUMP as they both simultaneously leaped over the back of the couch to get to her; didn't feel them wrapping their arms around her. But with just two words, just like that, her world came snapping back into place. Back into cruel cruel reality.

"What happened?"

At first, she couldn't answer. In the background, she could hear the movie still playing on the TV. Not two minutes ago, they had all been sitting on the couch, watching their favorite movie. She and Naruto had sat on the couch, sharing a bowl of popcorn between them. Sasuke had sat on the floor, resting his back against the couch between her legs. Not even two minutes ago, she had been feeling so content and even giggling as Sasuke nearly purred when she began massaging his scalp, giggling when Naruto demanded one after Sasuke.

But that happiness was gone now. All of that was two minutes ago. With only one phone call, her world came crashing down around her.

"My parents…" she stammered out, clutching onto Naruto as he enveloped her in a great hug," a…a car accident…They're…They're…" She could say no more as she began to sob uncontrollably into her blonde friend's chest.

_If every building falls_

_And all the stars fade_

_We'll still be singing this song_

_The one they can't take away_

_I'm gonna get there soon_

_She's gonna be there too_

_Crying in her room_

_Praying, Lord, come through_

_We're gonna get there soon_

_**Oh, it's your light**_

_**Oh, it's your way**_

_**You pull me out of the dark**_

_**Just to shoulder the weight**_

_**Crying out now**_

_**From so far away**_

_**You pull me closer to love**_

_**Closer to love**_

It all happened faster than she could comprehend: the funeral, the will, the paperwork, and the moving. She had been left everything, as she had been an only child. But the laws forbade her from inheriting a single thing until she was of legal age. But she didn't care about any of that; she was too caught up in her grief to give a damn about the law. Later, someone told her the story of how it came upon her mentor and her two best friends to fight the law in her stance. Even though she was 16, they wanted to put her in a foster home, or even ship her off to her mysterious and unknown aunt in France. Her mentor had her fight for her emancipation and prove that she was more than capable of living on her own. If _Naruto_ could get emancipated at the age of 15, why couldn't she?

In the end, it was _Itachi_, Sasuke's older brother, who settled things once and for all. It had not taken long for the Uchiha Head to hear of Sakura's situation. Being away in America at the time to run the Uchiha business, Itachi had taken a Red-Eye midnight flight and appeared on the court's doorstep in the early morning hours. When he came out five hours later, he handed Sakura her emancipation papers and a set of keys. They were to a small condo downtown in which she, Sasuke, Naruto, and their ever-traveling friend, Sai, were to live in. Itachi also took it upon himself to sell Naruto and Sasuke's old rundown flat, set up a new and efficient payment plan for the condo, and hire a groundskeeper to care for the Haruno house until Sakura was allowed back in.

Itachi left for America that same night, leaving the rest of them with the feeling that a fairy godmother had blessed them. Right before he boarded his flight, they saw him off and Itachi made a point to tell Sasuke and Naruto to keep up the good grades in school and to give Sakura a reassuring hug. So say, it shocked everyone to see Itachi willingly show affection in public. With a few comforting words and a number for her to call if she ever needed him, Itachi left them with a chaste kiss on her forehead.

* * *

"Remind me to find Itachi a really hot girlfriend next time I see him," Naruto said as he walked into the condo carrying a box of random stuff," I seriously how him one."

"We all do, dobe," Sasuke rolled his eyes and pushed the blonde out of the doorway," But Itachi doesn't like to be rewarded for things he does. He only helps people when he _wants_ to and he hates it when they try to pay him back. Makes us feel like people are trying to buy us."Carrying a box equal in size to the one in Naruto's arms, Sasuke used his body to hold open the door for Sakura. Holding a smaller box, she smiled at him and stepped into the cozy condo.

It was a well known fact that Sasuke looked up to his older brother. When their parents had died at Sasuke's age of nine, Itachi did everything in his power to keep both of them out of foster homes and together. (It was common in the Japanese foster system for siblings to be separated, which would've most certainly been the case with the two brothers. Hundreds of people had fought over custody of the heirs to the vastly rich Uchiha empire.) He had only been thirteen at the time, but was clever enough to convince Hatake Kakashi (19 at the time) to take on the role of their mentor. Unknown to everyone but Itachi, there was a clause in the Uchiha will that said before all else, the boys' mentor would have custody of the two boys and no one was to challenge it. In the end, Kakashi willingly adopted the two.

When Itachi turned 15, he was emancipated at the advice of Kakashi and moved to America to run the family business. Sasuke chose to stay behind and continue with his lifelong dream of becoming an artist. That was how they met the fourth member of their gang, Sai. The two both met in art class and with their similar impassive personality, instantly hit it off.

"So when did Sai say he was coming home?" Sakura asked, placing the box in the living room.

"Sometime tonight," Sasuke said and set his own box on top of Naruto's," Kakashi-tou (Sasuke's nickname for his "otou-san") said he'd pick him up and bring him home when his plane comes in."

"That bastard had better bring me back a souvenir from Italy!" they hear their blonde brother yell from his room, where he was no doubt unpacking already. Sasuke merely rolled his eyes at his best friend while Sakura smiled lightly.

"I think that's all of them," their mentor (and Naruto and Sasuke's foster father), Hatake Kakashi, entered the condo with his arms full of boxes," We were done in no time between the five of us."

"Hai," came the reply from the soft spoken Hyuuga Hinata, Naruto's girlfriend. She gracefully walked in, cradling a box of delicate china to her chest and set it in the kitchen. With a polite nod at Sasuke and a smile at Sakura, she disappeared into Naruto's room. A second later, they heard the blonde exclaim the dark-haired girl's name as he no doubtedly glomped her.

"My babies are all moving in together," Kakashi pretended to weep and locked Sasuke and Sakura into a bear hug," Whatever shall I do with an empty house? It's be so lonely without you two quiet and anti-social boys to keep me company? Naruto was the only life in the house." True, Kakashi had also adopted Uzumaki Naruto a year after Itachi and Sasuke became his newly anointed sons.

"You'll get over it," Sasuke growled and pulled himself free from the hug," You'll probably love all the time to yourself to read your perverted books." And after prying Sakura from her mentor's grasp, he unashamedly shoved his "otou-san" out of the condo and ignored Kakashi's wail of "Is that any way to treat your loving father?!"

Sakura ignored the unusual father-son relationship and looked around her at the many piled of boxes. The empty condo was just waiting to be decorated, to feel a woman's touch and come to life. This would be her address for years to come.

"So I guess this is home now," she mused wearily, taking in a deep breath of clean air; before she knew it, the place would have the smell of ramen wafting through the air. Naruto always made sure the scent would follow him everywhere by constantly consuming the food. To her right, Sasuke didn't miss the soft tone in her voice or the look in her eye. All she knew was the next second she was being pulled onto the couch with a strong pair of arms around her waist. The second after that, she was lying down with her back to Sasuke's hard chest, staring at a box full of Sasuke's painting and Sai's ink drawings.

"Take a nap, Sakura," Sasuke murmered, probably already with his eyes closed," You've earned it."

"But…the boxes," she argued, wishing only to distract herself in the process of unpacking. The last thing she wanted to do was to sit still and give herself the chance to remember her pain.

"Screw the fucking boxes," he said gruffly," I'll make Sai help us later. You haven't slept in days and you need to just take the time to slow down and relax. You'll only end up hurting yourself."

"But-" she tried again.

"Sakura," he interrupted in a warning voice," Just relax; the boxes aren't going anywhere. Now, just breathe and close your eyes. Remember that day down by the river? When I painted you Sai, and the dobe? Just think of that day."

At his condescending tone, she obeyed and took a deep breath. She remembered that day crystal clear. That painting that Sasuke made that day had been the first that caught a well-known collector's eye. (The particular collector was currently fascinated with Sasuke's work and his style and often bought the paintings Sasuke put up for auction.) It was a simple Birmingham; she had been sitting on the dock, dipping her toes into the cold water. Behind her, Naruto and Sai lied head to head, gazing up at the clouds; Sai pointing to one that looked like a kunai. Sasuke had even taken the nerve to paint himself into it, placing himself on the shore with his easel and canvas. It was a simple picture and a simple memory, but one so full of life. Pure and innocent. Everyone could easily see why the collector wanted it; Sasuke had painted it with such tender care that it was as if he had breathed life into it; it wasn't very hard to look at it and just imagine that day like it was still happening. As for the buyer, Sasuke had refused to sell that particular painting, instead hanging it proudly on the living room wall.

"And Sakura…" he spoke in his deep voice, breaking her out of her thoughts," Your home is with us, remember that. You're our family." She smiled and snuggled herself into his arms, content. And for the first time in a long time, she felt safe at home.

_Meet me once again_

_Down off Lake Michigan_

_Where we could feel the storm blowing _

_Down with the wind_

_And don't apologize_

_For all the tears you've cried_

_You've been way too strong_

_Now all your life_

_I'm gonna get there soon_

_You're gonna be there too_

_Crying in your room_

_Praying, Lord, come through_

_We're gonna get there soon_

_**Oh, it's your light**_

_**Oh, it's your way**_

_**You pull me out of the dark**_

_**Just to shoulder the weight**_

_**Crying out now**_

_**From so far away**_

_**You pull me closer to love**_

_**Closer to love**_

They were at their favorite place, the dock on the river. It was like that beautiful painting hanging proudly in their living room. Sai and Naruto, along with their new neighbor, Shikamaru, laid upon the grass, gazing up at the clouds. Although Shikamaru was about ready to fall asleep…Higher up on the hill, Sakura sat next to Ino, picking flowers and gazing down at the boys. Nearby, Sasuke sat against a tree, balancing a canvas on his legs, sketching with an art pencil.

"I like having you guys as neighbors," Ino mused, holding a cosmos flower in her dainty hands," Especially you, Sakura-chan. It's nice to have a girl around. I'd _die_ if I had to spend all my time with only boys." Sakura couldn't help but smile at Ino's dramatization. Ino and Shikamaru were their new neighbors, both freshmen in college. Well, Shikamaru was; Ino was currently in an internship with a famous fashion designer. Shikamaru was studying to become a top notch computer genius (or whatever it was called), not that he wasn't one already.

"It's like we're one big family," Ino continued," I think everything turned out just fine." This last statement caught Sakura by surprise and she had to think for a second, trying to fit all of the pieces of her life together like a puzzle. _Was_ that her life? One big puzzle, where all the pieces were scattered to the winds, slowly coming together as time went on? What would happen when all the pieces came together? Would it be a beautiful picture, or something lonely and dark?

Yet as she looked at all of her precious friends around her, all she saw was a happy life, with love and family. _Family_. This picture would be complete if only her parents were here to enjoy it as well; if _all_ of their parents were here. They were all orphans (minus Ino and Shikamaru) with no families of their own, yet they had found family in each other. She still felt sad that she was now an orphan, but her friends, her _family_ was here to help her and love her.

"So what did you draw today, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked her quiet housemate, trying to look over his shoulder at his latest canvas. He smirked and shoved the canvas into its sleeve before she could depict what it was. She pouted cutely at him.

"You _never_ let me see your paintings, Sasuke-kun," she pouted and sat on the ground next to him. He merely smirked at her with his trademark Uchiha attitude.

"Maybe someday," he said, still smirking," When I finish this series I promise I'll show you." At his words, she instantly brightened up and smiled at him. A ghost of a smile fell on his lips; she could tell from how the corners of his lips twitched, as if he wanted to lift them and give her a real smile.

_Cause you are all that I've waited for_

_All my life_

_We're gonna get there soon_

_You are all that I've waited for_

_All my life_

_You pull me closer to love_

_Closer to love_

_Pull me closer to love_

_You pull me closer to love_

_Closer to love, oh no_

_Closer to love, closer to love_

_Pull me closer to love_

"Yes, I would like the whole series, if you'll sell them to me," he said confidently, crossing his legs as he did so. They were all sitting in a brightly lit room, one wall consisting only of windows. Various art lined the remaining walls; there were portraits, birminghams, landscapes, everything. He sat with his back to the windows behind a long desk where various gems, pottery, and other fine arts were scattered, along with a few magnifying glasses and tools. A few other people (well known individuals) sat on either side of him, all facing another young man.

"Are you sure, Sarutobi-sama?" a man to his right spoke, facing his elder," Shouldn't you at least _look_ at them before you do?" The young artist opened his mouth to speak, but the elder beat him to it.

"No, Ibiki, I will not need to see them first," he said, smiling at the artist," I have a good feeling about them." The artist held back a smirk at his words, but his voice was even as he spoke.

"Do you wish for me to deliver them to your gallery today?"

The old man, Sarutobi, smiled and nodded," Yes, and bring your family later tonight, if you will."

* * *

"Sasuke-kun, where are we?" Sakura asked the youngest Uchiha, feeling very confused. She sat behind Sasuke on his bike, her arms still wrapped around his torso. They parked in front of a very large and regal looking building, resembling a museum if she had to put a name to it. She looked around for a sign, but found none. A truck pulled up behind them and five people tumbled out. The driver, Kakashi, calmly shut the truck off and stepped out. Whilst Naruto and Ino pounced on Sasuke when he stepped off the bike.

"Yeah, where _are_ we teme?" Naruto demanded," What makes you think you can just tell us we're going somewhere tonight and expect us to follow?!"

Sasuke smirked," Well you did follow, didn't you?"

Naruto got red in the face," Only because you forced Sakura-chan to get on the bike with you and you just shot off." Still sitting atop the bike, Sakura giggled, remembering her surprise when Sasuke pulled her onto the bike and took off, chuckling all the while at Naruto's shouts. Hearing her giggle reminded Sasuke that she was still on and he immediately went to her side. Lifting his arms, he gently lifted her off the bike and back onto firm ground.

"We really are curious, Sasuke-san," Hinata spoke up, taking her rightful place by Naruto's side. Sasuke looked back at them and only smirked at all of them. Sai and Shikamaru just sighed, knowing he wouldn't say anything until he was damn ready to.

"Ah, you made it Sasuke-kun," a low voice spoke, catching all of their attentions. Standing at the top of the stairs was an old man, smiling brightly at them. A few people stood on either side of him, some smiling down at them.

"Ah," Sasuke nodded up at them. Kakashi frowned at his son and made a pouting face.

"Neh, Sasuke, why are we at the mayor's private gallery?" Kakashi asked, causing everyone else to gasp in shock.

"THE_ MAYOR?!"_

Mayor Sarutobi grinned at all of them," We have something to show all of you. But first things first, I think introductions are in order." As he spoke, he began walking down the stairs, the others following him.

"This is Kakashi-tou," Sasuke pointed out each of them as he spoke," Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Sai-" Sai nodded at some of them, obviously knowing some of them already," -the dobe, Naruto-" "HOW CAN YOU BE SO MEAN TO YOUR BROTHER TEME?!" "-his girlfriend, Hyuuga Hinata, and Haruno Sakura."

Sakura and the others smiled at the older people politely and said hello. In response, they introduced themselves.

"Morino Ibiki, second in command of Konoha Police."

"You can just call me Iruka. I teach art at Konoha University."

"I AM THE ONE AND ONLY JIRAIYA! THE FAMOUS NOVELIST! IN THE FLESH!"

"Don't flatter yourself, hentai. I'm Tsunade, the Headmistress of Konoha Medical University."

"And I'm Mitarashi Anko, head of Konoha's militia."

"Please, come in," Sarutobi smiled again and motioned everyone inside," We have a surprise for all of you."

Once inside, the sight took their breaths away. It was truly a gallery of art, with beautiful paintings everywhere. Sakura looked around her at all of them, seeing a portrait of Itachi placed next to painting of a scenic river.

"What do you think?" Sarutobi asked," Every piece of art in this gallery is from none other than Uchiha Sasuke." The others could only gape at the youngest Uchiha. After a few demanding questions and some vague answers, they all scattered, marveling at all of the paintings. Sasuke dragged Sakura over to one wall, telling her that he was finally going to show her the paintings he never let her see. He said he hasn't named any of them yet, but thought that she would like them none-the-less.

What Sakura saw took her breath away. The first of the series was that painting that had once hung on their living room wall. Next to it and all down the line were its successors, each telling a story.

A sad dark painting of a funeral.

Itachi kneeling down in an airport in front of a little pink-haired woman, kissing her forehead as she cried.

Sasuke and Sakura sleeping peacefully on a couch, surrounded by boxes.

Sakura sitting atop Naruto's shoulders, both grinning.

Sai sitting on a windowsill, drawing and looking dreamily out into the horizon.

A realistic painting of Kakashi opening his arms in an obvious gesture of a hug, his left eye crinkled into a smile.

A picture-like painting of Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke in a tent from their camping days in the summer, every one sleeping like a rock; Sakura snuggled up into Sasuke chest with his draped protectively around her, yet letting a snoring Naruto snuggle up to Sakura's back, wrapping his arms around her waist.

And finally, Sakura recognized the setting as their beloved dock. Sai, Shikamaru, and Naruto lied back into the grass, gazing up at the clouds. Sakura and Ino sat farther up on the hill, sitting among cosmos flowers. Sasuke sat behind the two of them leaning against a tree with his canvas. Instead of concentrating on it though, his face was turned up towards the sky, but not cloud watching like the other boys. For in that painting, in those majestic clouds, were their beloved parents, all smiling down at them…

"A lot of them were painted from pictures that Hinata took," Sasuke was saying, unsure what to say about the paintings or how Sakura would react. She could only nod, remembering that Hinata was studying photography.

"Do you like them?" he asked, inspecting her very carefully for a reaction. Instantly, he got his answer. He could not compare anything to her smile at that moment, and it was directed at _him_.

"I love it Sasuke-kun," she smiled and kissed him on the cheek as she hugged him tightly. He could only freeze, a little surprised. But after a few seconds, he felt a minuscule smile tug on his lips. They separated only when they heard someone clear their throat.

"Oh, Tsunade-sempai," Sasuke greeted," What do you think of the gallery?"

The older woman nodded at him and said that she enjoyed the art very much, but then she surprised them both by asking to speak to Sakura in private. She agreed and stepped off to the side with the headmistress while Sasuke looked on in confusion.

"Sakura, what do you plan on doing with your life?" Tsunade asked a serious voice.

Sakura tilted her head in confusion, but answered none-the-less," I'm studying to become a doctor, maybe even a neurosurgeon."

At her words, Tsunade broke into a light smile," So have you found a university to study at yet?"

Sakura frowned," Not yet. I'm still applying for some scholarships."

Tsunade's smile got even bigger," Well don't bother anymore. The Board and I have discussed it and we are giving you a full scholarship to Konoha Medical University. I am inviting you to be my personal apprentice."

……"SHANNARO!!!"


	4. SasoSaku: I'm With You

**Pairing: SasoriXSakura**

**Era: Shinobi Konoha**

**Song: **_**'I'm With You'- **_**Avril Lavigne**

* * *

_I'm standing on the bridge_

_I'm waiting in the dark_

_I thought that you'd be here by now_

_There's nothing but the rain_

_No footsteps on the ground_

_I'm listening but there's no sound_

_Isn't anyone trying to find me?_

_Won't somebody come take me home?_

_**It's a damn cold night**_

_**Trying to figure out this life**_

_**Won't you take me by the hand?**_

_**Take me somewhere new**_

_**I don't know who you are but I**_

_**I'm with you**_

_**I'm with you**_

She looked so lost just standing there. He knew he shouldn't be there; he had places to go and people were waiting for him. How he _hated_ making people waiting. Precious time was wasted completely and he knew that he should be hurrying along before any more was wasted. But for all that he was, he could not move from his spot on the road.

She did not seem to know that he was there; so caught up in her own thoughts she was. It was a lonely bridge, especially at a time like this. He looked up at the moon and judged it to be around midnight. His gaze wandering to the girl again, he wondered why she was out this late. He could see her dark figure lean against the bridge rails, staring into the cold river below. Briefly, he pondered that she may be attempting suicide, but was too nervous to actually commit the sin.

He scoffed at this thought; he held no pity for suicide victims. Death was only the easy way out. The ones who could not take life's pain, the _weak_, were the only ones who committed suicide. It was the truly strong that would persevere and continue with their life. True strength came from not giving up before it was over.

_"Neh, Sasori-danna, where __**are**__ you?"_ a certain annoying voice cracked into his ear from the usual earphone. He frowned at Deidara's whine; sometime's he seriously wanted to kill his blonde partner. But that was not allowed in the Akatsuki. A rule that he (and a few other Akatsuki members) abhorred with a passion.

Instead of replying to the impatient blonde, Sasori merely turned off his radio, relishing in the newfound silence. Without a distraction from his overactive partner, his eyes were now free to gaze over at the girl once more. Tilting his head, he caught a fleeting glance of her face before she lowered her head. But it was enough to alert him of her identity.

Well of all people, _she_ would be here. He smirked, suddenly wondering why he had not recognized her before. But then he realized that he did not see her tell-tale hair from under the hoodie she was wearing. She was not wearing her usual kunoichi uniform, the one he was accustomed to imagining her in. Thinking over this briefly, he deduced that it would be most uncomfortable to be in her usual skirt and vest in the cold country of Kiri, especially during the late fall. But he thought it strange for her to be wearing civilian clothes. Her pants were a baggy black and orange, looking as if they were originally meant for a man, and if he guessed right, to her teammate. The red sash she used as a belt proved that they were too big for her. And finally, the common black hoodie covered her entire upper body, including her head with the hood pulled up.

It had rained earlier that night and he noticed that she was wet; had she sought no shelter from the storm? He noted with artistic eyes how the streets transformed into mirrors from the water, carefully capturing the light and reflections around them before shooting them back out in mismatched shapes. He could see her reflection in the street, gazing down into that sinfully cold river the same as its counterpart.

He could remember the first and last time he had ever seen her. They had been mortal enemies at the time, forced to kill each other or be killed. Even during that fight, he marveled at her ferociousness and undying loyalty to the current Kazekage. The thought of making her into his favorite puppet had entered his mind multiple times. But when he saw _that_ emotion in her eyes, when she felt his sword piercing through her, all of those thoughts went straight to Hell. It had been at that moment that she remembered his past and truly realized his pain as a child. Even as she gritted her teeth in pain, she looked at him with such soft eyes, eyes of compassion. In her eyes, she had seen him as the child he had been, alone. As he had looked into her eyes, he found a new thought entering his head. Had they been from a different lifetime, had his parents not died, had he not joined Akatsuki, they might've been close friends. He might've even been able to grow to love her…

"Sakura…" he whispered quietly, unable to stop the name from passing his lips. Eyes wide, he clamped his mouth shut, praying that she had not heard him. When she straightened up, he feared that she had, or sensed his presence, and was full ready to bolt at the slightest turn of her head in his direction. And turn she did, but it was in the opposite direction, so he forced himself to calm down. She slid her back down the pole, sitting unceremoniously on the wet pavement. She did not care, she was already soaking wet. As she slid down, he could hear words coming from her mouth.

"Stupid Danzou…" she muttered to herself," How dare he tell me to kill myself over my worthlessness? I may have lost everything, but won't let him have my pride. I'm stronger than that. That bastard, I'll kill him someday."

Ah yes, he remembered that after Pein's attack on Konoha, ROOT's ruthless leader, Danzou, had become the Rokudaime Hokage. It had been no secret that Danzou loathed the precious Hokages' legacies of kindness and love, and especially the Kyuubi brat. He remembered that Sakura had been Naruto's teammate and even once loved Uchiha Sasuke, another person Danzou hated with a passion. Knowing Team 7, he had no doubt that Naruto and Sakura fought Danzou every step of the way, making their disdain for his leadership obvious. And as a merciless man, Danzou no doubt banished them both, labeling them traitors of Konoha government and radicalists.

_I'm looking for a place_

_I'm searching for a face_

_Is anybody here I know?_

_Cause nothing's going right_

_And no one likes to be alone_

_Isn't anyone trying to find me?_

_Won't somebody come take me home?_

_**It's a damn cold night**_

_**Trying to figure out this life**_

_**Won't you take me by the hand?**_

_**I don't know who you are but it**_

_**I'm with you**_

_**I'm with you**_

He watched with morbid fascination as she untied her Konoha hitai-ate and held it before her, studying it with a serious expression. Then he watched as she pulled a kunai out of her hoodie pocket, her hand poised over the untouched hitai-ate. With a thunk in his brain, he realized what she was about to do.

"Damn you Danzou," she growled," I loved Konoha, but you've destroyed my home. You've destroyed Konoha; I refuse to be a part of such a village, the village you've turned my home into." And with unerring accuracy, she slashed her hitai-ate across the Leaf symbol, marking a new life for herself.

He could not help himself. Before he even realized what he was doing, he was standing in front of her. She did not gasp or jump like he expected her too, instead looking up at him with her green eyes into his unreadable ones. He stared down at her with no expression on his face, but he did not know that she could see the curiousity and concern in his eyes. He in fact, did not know that he held such emotions in his eyes.

"Sasori," she spoke, surprising him with her lack of formality. But he guessed it was not appropriate; they considered themselves equals after their only fight. He was no longer her superior.

"Sakura," he responded, nodding his head at her.

A hint of confusion flashed across her face, and he knew that she starting to wonder why he was not dead, like how she had left him. "How?" she asked simply, but they both knew what she truly meant.

"Spare heart," was all that he said, yet it was enough of an answer for her. She nodded in agreement and spoke again," And Deidara?"

A smirk crept unto his face; so she had known of their presence in the area? "The idiot fooled us all," he chuckled," He only made us believe he killed himself. The fool blew up the forest then ran for Iwa. I, of course, found him a couple months later, enjoying himself in a tavern."

She chuckled at the thought; from what she's heard of the explosive blonde, such an act would not be very strange for him. The simple sound confused Sasori; it had been so long since he had heard such a pure sound. As she laughed, he found that he liked it.

All too soon, she stopped and faced him with yet another question," I thought Akatsuki had disbanded after Naruto killed Pein?" Calmly, he shook his head.

"We have changed new leaders, but those of us who have completed our original mission are free to do whatever we want," he explained," Deidara and I are actually going around taking missions and collecting bounties."

"So now you're a real rogue ninja," she mused," You're not tied to any village or even to Akatsuki." He chuckled, realizing that what she said was true.

"And what about you?" he found himself asking," Who do you belong to?"

Almost instantaneously, she growled," I belong to _no one_. No one can control me anymore; Konoha is gone and I'll serve only Konoha. "

He stared down at her for a moment, taking in what she said. True, under Danzou's rule, Konoha would not be the same. It would've been turned into a ruthless militarism village. And here was this young kunoichi; someone powerful but with a heart of gold. Even though she was strong enough to be a part of such a village, she wanted no part of it and perhaps that was for the best. He found himself wondering where her teammate was; the Kyuubi boy would never let his precious teammate be all alone in Kiri. The village was just as ruthless as the new Konoha. But it was at that moment, he realized that she _had_ been alone. There was no one with her and no one was coming for her. She was a missing-nin now and they are the people who are always alone.

She was surprised beyond words when she found a hand reaching towards her. He stood there with no expression on his face, yet he held his hand out towards her, silently asking her to take it. As she stared at the at hand, she knew what it implied and what the consequences would be.

But she was tired of being _alone_. As a missing-nin, she was alone; as a kunoichi, she was alone; she was just tired of not having anyone having her back. No one was coming for her. Yet here was her past enemy, offering her company and friendship. What would happen if she did go with him and Deidara? They were no longer Akatsuki; so she would not be forced to hunt her own best friend. No, instead they would be simple missing-nin, looking everywhere for the odd job and fighting for survival. But at least they wouldn't be alone.

Sadly, her thoughts wandered back to her best friend left in Konoha. He could not leave the village he loved so much; they had finally accepted him after he gave so much to protect it from Pein. Right before she left, the Council Elders had even told her that they had already nominated Naruto to be the 7th Hokage, no matter how long and hard Danzou fought it. She had been happy, even when Danzou tried to write the both of them off as radicals to Konoha and a threat to the village. But he had not near enough power to make the village hate Naruto again, especially with the Council backing him. But there was no one for her; her sensei was in a coma and could not defend her student. Naruto offered to help her, but she did not want to remain part of Konoha anymore. She did not want to be a shinobi to a village ruled by Danzou…

_Why is everything so confusing?_

_Maybe I'm just out of my mind_

_Yeah yeah yeah…_

_**It's a damn cold night**_

_**Trying to figure out this life**_

_**Won't you take me by the hand?**_

_**Take me somewhere new**_

_**I don't know who you are but I**_

_**I'm with you**_

_**I'm with you**_

_**Take me by the hand**_

_**Take me somewhere new**_

_**I don't know who you are but I**_

_**I'm with you**_

_**I'm with you**_

.

.

And she took his hand with a smile, relishing in the fact that he smiled back at her as he pulled her up and into his arms.

_

* * *

_

**There you go! I needed something short and sweet after that long one. I particularly like this one. The music lyrics show Sakura's point of view as she's sitting there thinking and then there's Sasori watching this whole thing and what he thinks of it. It shows two stories at the same time. =)**

**Don't forget to rate and review! I'll love you forever if you do! And I might even give you a cookie. Flames welcome!!!**


	5. SasuSaku: Next Contestant

**Pairing: SasukeXSakura**

**Era: Shinobi Konoha (4 years in the future)**

**Song: **_**'Next Contestant'-**_** Nickelback**

**Warning!: Use of explicit language in this drabble, such as extensive amounts of crude words and sexual references. But all in good fun and a good story. =)**

* * *

_I judge by what she's wearing_

_Just how many head I'm tearing_

_Off of assholes coming onto her_

_(Each night seems like it's getting worse)_

_And I wish she'd take the night off_

_So I don't have to fight off_

_Every asshole coming onto her_

_(It happens every night she works)_

Oh, how she _killed _him with those tight little outfits and those sexy stiletto shoes. He knew she did it on purpose, just to tease him and get his blood heated past the point of boiling. Whenever she would put on those outfits, two thoughts would run through his mind. The first was to throw her over his shoulder and carry her off to his bedroom, where he would fuck her senseless. The second, was the thought that she was going to _work_. Calmly, he would then stalk off to his (their) room and promptly pack a new set of kunai and shuriken in his pouch...

He should've known better than to let her take that job, if he could even call it a job. Why couldn't she just get a nice quiet job at Ichiraku, serving bowl after bowl of ramen to their idiotic friend? Why the hell did she accept that job reference from their perverted sensei; she should've _known_ he would pick out the most perverted place in Konoha for her to work at.

("Now, Sasuke, I could think of a few even _more_ risque places for her to work at," the old man merely said with a smile," And I _know_ they would _love_ to have her apply; she would fit right in.")

Sasuke would still smirk evilly everytime he thought of the smoking pile of limbs he left his ex-sensei in after that little comment.

But right now, he had more important matters on his hands. As she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, she told him she was going to work.

"Aa," he said and walked right behind her, scowling. In the beginning, she reprimanded him greatly for following her to work, but what an Uchiha wants, an Uchiha gets.

Now he sat at the bar, sipping on a glass of raw hard vodka. He didn't have to worry about getting tipsy; years of going to bars with his best friend left him with a high tolerance for alcohold. With dark sultry eyes, he watched her whisk between crowds of people and tables, sometimes carrying a large tray of drinks. Even as he kept his eyes solely on her, he never failed to see the dozens of men turn their heads as she walked by. Their faces would sometimes be blank with the simple sight of her curvaceous body, others would smirk and smile in a predatory manner.

He clenched his glass tightly, feeling his blood boil. Didn't they know who she was? Didn't they know that she was _taken_? Didn't the fucking assholes know that they would soon lose their fucking _eyeballs_ if they continued to stare at her so?!

_They'll go and ask the DJ_

_Find out just what would she say_

_If they all tried coming onto her_

_(Don't they know it's never going to work?)_

_They think they'll get inside her_

_With every drink they buy her_

_As they all try coming onto her_

_(This time somebody's getting hurt)_

More often than not, Sakura would come up to the bar with new orders, when the bartender would push a glass of some fancy drink, saying some "nice man" was paying. Sasuke would then make it a point to glare his hardest at whoever bought the goddamn drink, really tempted to just activate his Sharingan and set the whole building on fire with Amaterasu. And Sakura being Sakura, would smile innocently and take the drink, downing it all in one gulp. Licking her lips, she set the glass back down again, not even feeling any effects of alcohol on her body.

She would then smirk in his direction, a smirk she learned from him personally, before waltzing off to her job again. He couldn't help but smirk back; these men _really_ didn't know who she was if they thought buying her drinks would get her tipsy enough to even _look_ at them. She was the damn Hokage's apprentice for fuck's sake; she had an even higher tolerance for alcohol than himself.

_Here comes the next contestant_

"Hey sweet thing, has anyone ever told you you're damn sexy?" an overly drunk man stumbled up to her and swung an arm around her shoulder. Sasuke gritted his teeth harshly, feeling his fingertips clench the bar. Sakura narrowed her green eyes at the drunk man and her lips narrowed into a thin line.

"If I told you that you have a smoking hot body, would you hold it against me?"

_Is that your hand on my girlfriend?_

_Is that your hand?_

_I wish you'd do it again_

_I'll watch you leave here limping_

_I wish you'd do it again_

_I'll watch you leave here limping_

_There goes the next contestant..._

"Fuck off, you drunk asshole," she growled deeply at the man and grabbed his wrist within her own small hand. She squeezed _hard_ and smiled when he winced in pain.

"I'm _taken_," she said in a fake sweet tone and pryed his hand off her shoulder in a harsh manner. He yelped loudly as she twisted his arm and shoved him back into the throng of his own friends.

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at the scene; goddamnit, that woman was fucking sexy when she's angry. The bartender sighed as he wiped out a sake bottle with a clean rag," I swear to God, if it weren't for the fact that she attracts more attention than she kicks out men, I'd have to fire her."

"Careful what you say, old man," Sasuke warned him with narrowed black eyes.

The bartender just shrugged," Hey, I can't lie. And besides, it's not like she isn't beautiful. You're dating her, aren't you?"

Sasuke smirked proudly," Hell yes, I am."

_I even fear the ladies_

_They're cool but twice as crazy_

_Just as bad for coming onto her_

_(Don't they know it's never going to work?)_

_Each time she bats an eyelash_

_Somebody's grabbing her ass_

_Everyone keeps coming onto here_

_(This time somebody's getting hurt)_

"Then don't look now, but I think she's just found someone even more attractive than you," the bartender chuckled and nodding in Sakura's direction. Confused, Sasuke swiveled on his stool to cast a look at his girlfriend. Who the hell could be even more hot and sexy than himself???

If Sasuke were not himself, his jaw might've dropped open. For there, nearly hanging off of Sakura, was _another_ female. A bodacious brunette with very skimpy clothes was leaning over Sakura's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her. Sakura's face was one of complete shock; was this chick seriously hitting on her?

Luckily, just as Sasuke stood up to go and whisk his girlfriend out of 'harms' way, Yamanaka Ino rushed in, wearing her own signature uniform of the bar. The brunette backed off when Ino shoved her away, only to hug Sakura herself, glaring hard at the brunette. Sasuke wasn't entirely sure what Ino said to the brunette, but whatever it was, the brunette stalked off in a hurry. Although he had an idea as to what it was when Ino gave Sakura a chaste kiss on the cheek.

He chuckled; of course Ino would act as Sakura's girlfriend to drive off other competitors. For a moment, he considered that maybe he didn't have to come to Sakura's work all the time; maybe he could leave her in Ino's care...

_Nahhhh!_ Sasuke knew he couldn't trust Ino; that crazy chick would take delight in sicking suitor after suitor onto Sakura behind his back, just to see how he would react.

_Here comes the next contestant_

But once Ino let go of Sakura, some guy had the audacity to smack both their asses when they walked by his table.

Both Sasuke and the bartender had to stifle chuckles, they both knew what Hell that man would soon pay...

_Is that your hand on my girlfriend?_

_Is that your hand?_

_I wish you'd do it again_

_I'll watch you leave here limping_

_I wish you'd do it again_

_I'll watch you leave here limping_

_There goest the next contestant_

With victorious smiles, both women wiped their hands after violently throwing the man outside the door (not before leaving him with quite a few bruises and broken bones, of course).

_I'm hating what she's wearing_

_Everybody here keeps staring_

_Can't wait 'til they get what they deserve_

_This time somebody's getting hurt._

"Take a break, you two," the owner said to both Sakura and Ino as he walked by. The two women smiled and nodded, each going off in their own direction. With a sway of her hips, Sakura came to him and seated herself in the stool next to him.

"Hey sweetie," she leaned over and kissed him on the lips. Smirking, he moved forward, expecting to deepen the kiss, but with a chuckle, she moved away. He growled deep in his throat, not liking it when things don't go his way.

"Stop tempting me," he growled, placing his hand on her thigh and squeezing in a warning. She just giggled and pecked him on the lips again, giggling even more when he scowled in frustration.

"Maybe after my shift, Sasuke-kun," she said seductively, giving him the smirk she stole from him. He scowled even more, silently thinking to himself that he would turn that maybe into a yes even if it was the last thing he did.

_Here comes the next contestant_

When the bartender began to laugh uncontrollably as he walked off to serve another man, they both exchanged confused glances. It wasn't until a large weight settled onto Sakura that they understood.

"H-Hey smexy!" a drunk man slurred over his words, hanging all over Sakura; his face dangerously close to her neck," Wh-Why don't y-you leave...this nobody and...and come to MY place daaaaarling!"

Not even Sakura's dark glare could begin to compare to the dark and bloodlust look in Sasuke's face. Without warning, his Sharingan activated and he felt his blood go past the point of boiling.

_Is that your hand on my girlfriend?_

_Is that your hand?_

_I wish you'd do it again_

_I'll watch you leave here limping_

_I wish you'd do it again_

_I'll watch you leave here limping_

_There goes the next contestant_

Sasuke stood up abruptly and his stool fell back from the force. The drunkard looked up with blurred eyes at him, not quite sure what was going on. All he knew was that there was a very nice smelling female in front of him with a pretty color of pink. Unconsciously, he lowered his head again and nuzzled into the sweet smell.

It was the last thing he remembered doing before waking up in the ICU a month later...

_I wish you'd do it again_

_Each night it seems like it's getting worse_

_I wish you'd do it again_

_This time somebody's getting hurt_

_There goes the next contestant..._

"We're leaving," Sasuke said gruffly, pulling Sakura up and locking her in the embrace of his arms. He cast a glance at the bartender, who was still chuckling and serving drinks as if nothing happened, even as Ino and a few other employees were hauling the drunk man to the hospital. Sakura blinked, wondering what Sasuke was doing.

The last Uchiha exchanged a look with the owner, who sighed and shook his head, knowing that this day would one day come. He spoke to Sasuke," Her last check will be waiting for you to pick up tomorrow. The library already has a spot open for her. Good luck when she finds out, Uchiha."

"Sasuke, what did you do?!"

"Hn," Sasuke's apathetic face didn't change as he all but dragged her out of the bar," You have a new job at the library. You are _not_ coming back to this shithole."

"Sasuke!" she yelled at him," You can't just dictate where I'm working!"

"Hn," he shot her a warning look," You can't tell me that you actually _enjoyed _working there. Besides, you love the library and it's much more fitting for you."

"Well, maybe! But-"

"No buts, Sakura," he stopped and looked her in the eyes," I don't want you working there anymore. You deserve something...more."

Yet her frowned persisted," But Sasuke-kun..."

Then without warning, her world turned upside down. Once everything came back down to ground zero, she realized that Sasuke had picked her up and flung her over his shoulder like a fricken sack of potatoes.

"Sasuke! Put me down!"

"No," came his curt reply, but Sakura could almost _see_ the smirk on his face," Obviously I need to..._persuade_ you otherwise..." With a feral grin, he turned his head and gave her hip a little nip, relishing in the reprimand she gave him. His grin grew wider; he would persuade her otherwise even if it took him the entire night.

_**ROFL!!!! I had to do it! This song is just too full of hilarity for me NOT to do it! And I quite enjoyed turning Sasuke into a horn-dog. It's a side that just isn't him, and that's what makes it so fun. **_

_**Also, if you want to see a certain oneshot, or have a prompt, or even a song you want me to write a song fic to, leave a review and tell me what you want to see. Also, let me know what couples you want to see. I always love a challenge!**_


	6. NaruHina: One Heart ::request::

**Pairing: NarutoXHinata**

**Era: Shinobi Konoha**

**Song: **_**'One Heart'**_**- DJ Boonie**

**Alright, this here is oneshot request for jigglypuff! Hope you enjoy!**

**And yes, the song lyrics are acting as breaks between the story.**

**~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!**

It was supposed to be a simple mission in the mountains. A team of four Chuunin (technically three Chuunin and one Genin) was dispatched to escort the Bakudan family to their summer home deep in the mountains. Only four people to protect from bandits, wild animals, and mishaps, so simple, right?

WRONG!

The original team consisted of Shikamaru, Shino, Hinata, and the ever rambunctious Naruto. Four talented Konoha shinobi to protect Bakudan Doro, Mimori, Shinjiru, and Houta. This was a relatively important mission, not to Konoha, but to the shinobi themselves. Lately, Tsunade has been adament about working on teamwork. So what else would she do but pair up the most random people from separate teams in order to force them to work together. She only hoped it wouldn't end up like that one mission years ago concerning Kiba and Naruto's rivalry for Hinata...

But...They never expected to get separated on the way there...

_(One heart you are following)_

_You can run_

_And you can begin anyplace_

_Where you don't fit in cause_

_Love will find a way_

_When you're down _

_You can start again_

_Turn around_

_Anything you're in_

_Love will find a place_

"Are we there yet?" Bakudan Houta shouted directly into Naruto's ear, making the annoyed blonde wince. After walking for five miles, the five year old twins had complained about their feet hurting. Hinata suggested they stop and take a rest, but Naruto wished to be rid of the "little brats" as he so fondly called them. So he took on the duty of carrying Houta while Hinata had the priviledge of taking care of the somewhat gentle Shinjiru.

Naruto winced at Houta's loudness and glared at the little boy. "No, we're not there yet," he gritted through clenched teeth," Now take a nap or something."

"I don't wanna take a nap! I wanna see my Mommy!"

"Well you're Mommy isn't here."

"Yeah, because _you_ got us all separated!"

"That wasn't my fault! _You're_ the one who started the landslide!"

"Cuz you needed my help."

"So throwing a bunch of rocks at us

"Well, if you're such a cool ninja, then why are we still stuck at the bottom of the mountain?"

"Alright! You little-"

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata reprimanded her crush, stunned that he was actually about to drop the child and bonk him on the head. Luckily, she caught his attention just in time. With a slight pouting look, he turned to look at her.

"But he started it," he pouted, silently asking her permission to teach the little boy a proper lesson in manners. But nevertheless, she shook her head. Only Naruto could pick a fight with a five year old boy.

"Houta is somewhat right though," Shinjiru spoke up from his spot on Hinata's back," If Naruto-chan hadn't told the bandits where we were with his loud shouting, Houta wouldn't have had to push the boulder off the cliff, starting the landslide."

"We were handling it just fine on our own! And stop calling me that!"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata repeated his name, giving him a certain look. And once again, he was appeased by her worried face. He knew she was stressed about their situation; he was as well. These mountains were dangerous; known for numerous bandits, wild animals, and such. And not to mention, nightfall was beginning to approach.

"Ok Hinata-chan," he smiled at his raven haired friend," We probably _should_ stop and set up camp for the night."

Hinata will never know how he knew exactly what she was thinking. At that time, she liked to think it was a love thing, where their mutual bond also included thoughts and behaviors. But she shook it off as wishful thinking. Naruto didn't love her that way. She knew he didn't.

_If you've got_

_One heart you are following_

_One dream keeps you wondering_

_Love lights your way through the night_

_One wish keeps you trying_

_What's your silver lining_

_Love lights your way through the night_

Ever as troublesome, Houta and Shinjiru proved to be constant problems for Naruto. Houta was more open with his pranks and troubles. Shouting in Naruto's ear every chance he got; tripping him at every corner; splashing water onto his pants so it looked like he wet his pants; and such.

But when a rather large spider was found in Naruto's sleeping bag, hair, and even his ramen, Hinata began to suspect that Shinjiru was behind it. Houta wasn't one for sneaky things like that. Her suspicions were confirmed when the large spider turned out to be made of rubber.

When demanded they cut it out, the boys innocently protested that they didn't do anything. Naruto demanded reparation and stalked towards the boys, intending on giving them a good bop on their heads. Wailing, they both ran to hide behind Hinata, crying that Naruto was an abusive ninja.

Unlike they expected, Hinata did not take their side simply because they were little. Instead, she gently told them that had better stop bugging Naruto, or she really would let him give them a spanking. The prospect of a spanking seemed to scare the boys even more than a bonk on the head and both agreed to quit. Yet at the same time, none of them were expecting the gentle Hinata to threaten punishment for anything.

Naruto was ecstatic and promptly hugged the Hyuuga heiress, praising her.

"Thank you so much Hinata-chan! You actually took my side on this one! Sakura-chan _never_ takes my side! You're so awesome Hinata-chan!"

Hinata never knew that being fair would reward her so, but she made a mental note to judge everything fairly in the future. If Naruto acted this way everytime she made a fair judgment, then she had no problem being honest.

Maybe one day, Naruto would grow to love her honesty. And then after that...who knew.

_You can fall_

_A thousand times_

_You can feel_

_Like you've lost your mind_

_But love will find a way_

_And a minute_

_Can change your life_

_In a moment_

_You can make it right_

_Love will find a place_

Naruto had dispatched another clone to replace the one that dissipated to inform them of the outcome. The small group of four was sheltered in a hidden cave etched into the side of the mountain. If Hinata's calculations were correct, Naruto had about ten clones fighting a gang of rogue shinobi about half a mile away. When first ambushed, Hinata had managed to defect their weapons with her Gentle Fist. Naruto had cheered her skill and went to finish the rest hiding in the rocks. She stayed behind to guard the children, using her gentle fist to keep them safe.

But not five minutes later, Naruto returned with a horde of clones, each poofing away as they were hit. The real Naruto grabbed Hinata and the kids and rushed them into the nearest shelter. When asked, he grinned and responded,

"There's a little bit more than we expected."

In truth, "a little bit" turned out to be a lot more. Not only were they under attack by not one, but _two_ rogue gangs, and the chaos had also brought the attention of other things. To be more specific, Naruto distinctly picked out about five Onbus (or whatever they're called). All were fully grown and were on a mission to destroy everything in sight. When asked what an Onbu was, he grinned widely at Hinata.

"Remember when were were kids and I was a "Mommy"?" he asked her. At her confused face, he elaborated," A baby Onbu was dropped on me and wouldn't let go until it was all grown up, so I became it's Mommy. Well, when they're all grown up, they're not so cute anymore." He ended with a ridiculous grin on his face, remembering when he had raised that little Onbu to be the only kind Onbu in the mountains. Even though it had gone on a rampage, it had eventually remembered him and stopped it's real mother from killing him.

"Are we gonna be okay?" Houta piped up, his face scared and worried. Shinjiru also looked up with a question in his eyes, silently asking the same question. Both boys were huddled close to Hinata, scared out of their wits.

Seeing they're frightened faces, Naruto was reminded that they were still just kids, babies even. His face softened and he smiled at them.

"Don't worry," he reassured them," The Onbu will scare those bad guys away and then they'll leave when they're bored. And if any of them come even close to us, I'll kick their-"

"Naruto-kun!"

"Err, sorry Hinata-chan. If any of them come close, I'll make them run away with their tales between their legs!"

"The bandits or the Onbus?" Shinjiru frowned.

"Does it matter? I'm the future Hokage! None of them can beat me!"

_If you've got_

_One heart you are following_

_One dream keeps you wondering_

_Love lights your way through the night_

_One wish keeps you trying_

_What's your silver lining_

_Love lights your way through the night_

_Everybody needs something to hold onto_

_Everybody needs something to hold onto_

_(One heart you are following)_

That had been two days ago. Since then, it had been relatively peaceful, except for the few problems caused by the boys. (Luckily, Hinata had managed to fish Houta out of the river before he was swept too far downstream.) According to Hinata's calculations, they should reach the summer home tomorrow afternoon. So the small group had hunkered down in a sheltered cave for the night, burning a small fire for warmth. The boys were wrapped up in their blankets, sound asleep. Hinata and Naruto were sitting side by side by the fire. Hinata poked the fire with a stick, turning the wood to keep it burning, while Naruto had his eyes on the boys.

"You know Hinata-chan..." his voice spoke up, catching her attention. When she looked up, he was smiling sweetly at her. A blush spread over her face. Why was he smiling at her? What was he gonna do? Oh no! Now's he scooted closer to her!

"They're actually kinda cute when they're sleeping," Naruto finished, motioning to the sleeping Houta and Shinjiru. After a minor heart attack, Hinata realized he was talking about the boys and was not, in fact making a move on her. Though the thought had certainly entered her mind and she wouldn't have minded one bit...

The blush finally fading from her cheeks, she gazed at the objects of Naruto's focus and smiled as well. They certainly looked so peaceful sleeping, almost like angels. She nodded and relaxed her shoulders. Beside her, Naruto grinned and stretched out to lay beside her.

"Aren't you gonna lay down, Hinata-chan?" he asked when she remained sitting up. Almost as if on cue, she froze up and her eyes widened. And she swore she blacked out for a moment when he said," You should lay down with me, Hinata-chan."

And she must've fainted, for the next moment, she somehow found herself nestled into his strong arms on the ground. Naruto laid on his back, his arm serving as a resting place for her head and his hand layed across her shoulder. Though she was stiff and blushing as red as a tomato, he didn't notice and within five minutes, he was asleep.

"G-Goodnight, Naruto-kun," she whispered and forced herself to relax and fall asleep as well.

_If you've got _

_One heart you are following_

_One dream keeps you wondering_

_Love lights your way through the night_

_One wish keeps you trying_

_Find your silver lining_

_Love lights your way through the night_

They had finally reached the summer home. As soon as they came into sight, they were greeted by the sight of five guards rushing out to meet them. Once thoroughly checked by the guards for injuries and such, they were brought to the main house.

"Houta! Shinjiru!"

"Mommy!"

Houta and Shinjiru leaped out of Naruto and Hinata's arms to rush to their mother. Personally, Naruto was glad the "little brats" were out of his hair, but couldn't stop the smile as their mother cried tears, hugging her two sons. Bakudan Doro, their father, immediately went to the duo to thank them profoundly.

"Neh, it was nothing," Naruto blushed underneath all the praise and scratched the back of his head," We had no problems whatsoever." Hinata didn't miss how he left out the attack, but said nothing. They were safe now and that's all that mattered.

Shikamaru and Shino were there as well, waiting patiently for the chaos to die down. Once Mimori had her children shepherded into the house for a feast, Shikamaru approached the rest of the team.

"Alright, we should probably head back to the village," he said lazily, yawning while at it. Naruto rolled his eyes at the shirker's actions, but agreed.

**!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!**

On the road back home, Shino asked Hinata what it was like traveling alone with her number one love. Blushing, she never saw the small grin under Shino's hood.

"B-But, Shino-kun!" she stammered," We weren't alone. We had Houta and and Shinjiru to take care of."

"So... was he like a good father or brother to them?"

"Shino-kun!"

He chuckled slightly before motioning to Naruto's back. "I'm just warning you, Hinata-chan," he said," Naruto-kun's children will be just as rambunctious, if not more. You'll have to learn how to deal with them someday."

"SH-SHINO-KUN!"

_Keeps you trying_

_Find your silver lining_

_Love lights your way through the night_

_Love will find a way_

_Love will find a way_

_In your heart_

A month later, a letter arrived in Tsunade's office. Ripping it open, she was surprised to find a letter from Bakudan Doro.

_'Dear Hokage,_

_Thank you so much for sending such a wonderful team to assist my family and I. Houta and Shinjiru simply can't stop talking about Ms. Hinata and Mr. Naruto. They have had an excellent influence on the boys; their manners have even approved. (My wife says that's from Hinata's influence and she would make an excellent mother someday.) In addition, both boys are demanding to become great ninjas like Naruto someday. So in due time, you may find two new students in your shinobi academy. _

_Sincerely,_

_Bakudan Doro'_

"Wait until Naruto hears about this," Tsunade grinned, setting the letter aside to give to Naruto later.

**~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~**

"Hey Hinata-chan," Naruto called, averting her attention away from the Academy students to him again. They were currently at the Academy, playing with the students while on break. Or well, Hinata was playing with them, Naruto was sitting nearby, admiring her smile and easygoing manner with the children.

When she looked up at him with a smile still on her face, he grinned widely," You're so great with kids, Hinata-chan. I'm sure you'd make a great mother someday."


	7. InoShikaTema: All in Love is Fair ::req:

**Hello my youthful readers!**

**Hey! here's another request fic! This one is for IssaruWolf! yay! **

**Pairing: InoXShikamaruXTemari**

**Era: High School**

**Song: **_**'All in Love is Fair' **_**- S Club 7**

**~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!**

_Hmmm, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,  
Aye, aye, aye, aye, yeah, aye  
First he said he wouldn't leave me  
What a fool to believe that line  
Just another one of his obsessions  
To help pass the time_

Get it right, get it right, get it right  
Don't get it wrong  
Cuz if you want me  
Get your ass on over here and show me  
Stop wasting time  
And if you need me get your act together boy  
And show me  
You should be mine

As she sat there in third period, Ino pondered as to what could've gone wrong this past year. So much had happened, she knew that. Their close knit group had finally delved deeper to form true relationships. The first ones were Neji and Tenten, the seniors. Next, Naruto and Hinata had gotten together almost simultaneously as their best friends Sasuke and Sakura. Hell, even the emotionless Sai had found a girlfriend!

So in retrospect, Ino wondered if being so hasty in her choice was a good idea. At the time, she knew she had feelings for the lazy Nara Shikamaru. Despite his laziness and refusal to be romantic in any situation, she found his subtle romantic gestures and genius mind endearing. And over time, she learned to read all of his little gestures. And in time, she grew to love him.

But recently, as she pondered dejectedly, she's been seeing none of those little things. When she's with him, it's almost as if he's not even there. His mind is somewhere else and when she kisses him, she can't even get him to kiss her back. He's always been lazy, but now they can't even have a real conversation longer than ten sentences.

It's almost like he doesn't love her anymore...

_All in love is fair  
One of us will lose  
Is it her or me  
Is it me or you  
Who's it gonna be  
What you gonna do  
Are you over me?  
I'm not over you_

Cuz you said that you wouldn't cheat me  
That our love was to last all time  
She must have been a big exception  
If you're not the cheating kind

"How...How could he?" she wailed, clutching to her friend's shirt for dear life. Her best friend, Sakura held onto her, sharing in her tears and giving her a shoulder to cry on. Hinata sat beside them, gently patting Ino's back. And finally, Tenten was there, an angered expression on her face.

Neji, a man of his honor who they knew could not tell a lie, had come to Tenten with terrible news. After school, he and some of the guys wanted to go to the cafe for some food and soda. But Shikamaru had for the first time, declined. The boys had immediately been suspicious and Naruto came with the ingenious idea to follow him. They had argued at first, but eventually Neji had been elected to sneak after their shirker friend.

Unfortunately, what he had discovered had been utmost terrible. After walking to the football field, Shikamaru had met up with a girl in Neji's grade, Temari. And Neji watched with morbid fascination as they held hands and walked under the bleachers and out of sight. Unable to handle more, Neji had fled out of there and back to the guys.

"I'm going to kill him," Tenten growled, imagining Shikamaru's bloody head," I'm going to cut his head off, put it on a pike, and parade around the school with it." And while she continued to create new and imaginative ways to slaughter Shikamaru, Sakura and Hinata continued to console their destraught friend.

"Wh-What do I do now?" Ino cried, trying to dry her tears. Sakura's shirt was now stained, but neither of them cared for something as trivial as that. They had bigger fish to fry.

"I-I don't know," Hinata replied honestly, though none of them could blame her. Naruto was completely obsesssed with her and the word "cheating" wasn't even _in_ his vocabulary. So Hinata never had to worry about him cheating on her.

"You win him back," Sakura offered up," You had him first and he loved you once, so you let him know what he's missing." Ino perked up a little bit, considering the possibility.

She looked to Tenten for reassurance, who only shrugged," It's worth a shot."

_Get it right, get it right, get it right  
Don't get it wrong  
Cuz if you want me  
Get your ass on over here and show me  
Stop wasting time  
Boy if you knew me  
Baby you would never want to lose me  
Make up your mind_As it turned out, getting someone to love you again was harder than anyone guessed. Ino thought that since he loved her (once upon a time), than maybe making him fall for her again would be easier than the first time around. But she had nothing about herself that he didn't already know. This wasn't something she could start all over from, no matter how much she wanted to. He knew everything about her; all her faults and all her strengths. But apparently, those strengths weren't enough for him.

All in love is fair  
One of us will lose  
Is it her or me  
Is it me or you  
Who's it gonna be  
What you gonna do  
Are you over me?  
I'm not over you

"Shika-kun," she cooed, wrapping her arms around him and smiling seductively. Earlier, her and the girls had gone shopping for a new wardrobe. Something more... "boyfriend magnet" as Tenten described. Clad in a new lavender cocktail dress, Ino was hoping that perhaps, just perhaps, this would spark the love they lost. That magically, he would remember those first months they really got serious, the passion they shared, the allure she had over him. Just maybe he would remember...

"New dress?" he raised an eyebrow, eyeing it cynically," Do you have something for work tonight or something?"

"No," she smiled and kissed him on the cheek," I just wanted a change. You know, some new clothes and dresses and such. Do you like it?"

That rat bastard of a man, he just shrugged," It's nice. But I thought you stopped wearing such things your sophmore year. Said you wanted to be more sophisticated for your junior year."

"You remembered that?" her eyes widened momentarily in hope. What kind of man would remember stupid stuff like that if he wasn't in love?

But of course, he had to shoot her hopes down," How could I forget? I still have nightmares about you dragging me into store after store to find you a whole new wardrobe."

Damnit, she was really hoping she had him there...

And before she could even try again, he was standing and on his way to the door. With a casual wave over his shoulder, he called out," Chouji wanted to hang out tonight, so I'm gonna go meet him now. Hope your work thing goes well." And before she even knew it, he was out that door.

_You gotta take the good with the bad  
The happy with the sad  
But don't get mad if things don't go the way you planned  
Just understand that real love is in demand  
If you're ready for commitment girl just take my hand  
If you get lucky love will be a cruise  
There are so many roads  
Which one ya gonna choose  
But there's a risk ya know ya gotta take  
No messing, a choice ya gotta make  
The one cross you know you've gotta bear  
All in love is fair  
_

"Love isn't supposed to be this hard!" she cried loudly, once again clutching her best friend's shirt.

"Or this painful," Tenten frowned nearby, twiddling with a butterfly knife and fully considering paying Nara Shikamaru a little visit. As she looked on at Ino, she could almost feel her friend's pain. Tenten had once upon a time imagined Neji not loving her. She was so accustomed to his love; just imagining all of that gone, simply vanished...it was unbearable.

"You can't win him back," Hinata murmured soothingly, although with tears nearly in her eyes," I guess...I guess it just wasn't meant to be..."

"Hinata-chan..." Sakura looked up in shock at their gentle friend for even saying such a thing, but soon understood. Hinata never said anything she didn't fully believe in. If she thought this wasn't meant to be, then they had to trust her. No one knew how to heal the human heart like Hinata. She alone had that special ability to tap into people's heart and share their everything. Their pain, their sorrow, their joy, and their healing.

Sakura nodded sadly, knowing what had to be done.

"Ino..." Hinata called to their depressed friend and waited for Ino to dry her tears and look up," You have to let him go."

A whole new round of tears set itself off again," But then what? What can I do after that? I _love_ him."

Hinata's eyes softened into liquid warmth as she spoke in comforting tones," Then you begin to heal."

_All in love is fair  
One of us will lose  
Is it her or me  
Is it me or you  
Who's it gonna be  
What you gonna do  
Are you over me?  
I'm not over you_

"We are done, Nara Shikamaru," Ino said in the strongest voice she's ever heard from herself. Her voice did not crack or waiver. She was strong. She _would_ be strong.

Shikamaru looked up from his desk," Done? This is sudden. Where is all this coming from?"

To Ino's own amazement, she was strong in what she said. The trick was to believe in what she was saying, just like she believed in herself. "This was a long time in the making. I've just finally gotten the courage, thanks to people who truly care for me. Goodbye, Shikamaru." And then she walked away, she never let him see the tears streaming down her cheeks as she whispered to herself.

_"I still love you."_

_Can't wait another minute  
Is it her or me doin' it?  
Can't wait another minute  
Is it her or me who's doin' it?_

The days after that felt like a new year. She felt like a changed woman. Like a chain had been lifted off of her. Sure, everytime she saw him, it was hard to not burst into tears. Everything reminded her of him. She still loved him and a part of her knew that she always would. A little part of her would always belong to Shikamaru, but that part of her was still a part of her. And she had to accept it. She had to let the wound heal. The scar would always be there, but the pain would someday disappear.

She sat on the school steps, talking to Chouji. Even through all she had been through with Shikamaru, Chouji remained by her side. Forever Shikamaru's best friend, Chouji refused to let go of Ino as a friend. As he told her repeatedly, she would always be one of his "important people".

Soon a blond walked past Ino and when she looked up, Ino recognized Subaku no Temari. Shikamaru's new girlfriend...

"Hey Temari," she called out before she realized it. Only after Temari stopped and turned around, did she realize what she had done.

Looking on at Temari, Ino remember the hatred she had for this girl. How much she wanted her gone. Temari had stolen the man she loved, and Ino could do nothing about it. But as she looked at her now, Ino could only see herself. That same blonde girl hopelessly in love. The one who never saw the hurt coming until it had already broken her down. But Ino made a choice to get back up again. She was strong.

Smiling truly from her heart, Ino said," Congratulations about your new boyfriend. I hope you'll always be happy. Just promise me you'll love him while you can."

Temari's eyes were wide for a moment, but an understanding had passed between them. Her eyes softened and she smiled back at Ino. Sure she knew who Ino was and what had happened. To know that Ino did not hate her lifted a huge chain weighing down on her heart. Now she truly could love Shikamaru with all her heart without feeling like she was betraying a fellow female.

"Thank you," she said truly from her heart. She did not say anything more, but she didn't have to. The two girls understood each other and that's all they needed to heal.

As Ino turned back to Chouji, she knew a part of her heart had healed. Slowly but surely, she was healing. Smiling nostalgically, she placed a hand over her heart. The scar would always be there, but the pain will subside one day... One day...

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

**This story goes out to any girl who's ever been cheated on or had her heart broken and torn apart. Even though he doesn't love you, just remember that there is always someone else who does. You are special and have friends who care about you. Remember that and you will heal. The scar will always be there, but the pain will disappear.**

**Special thanks to **_**IssaruWolf**_** for requesting this. It created a strong and inspiring story. Thank you. **

**And for you men out there (if there is any on Fanfiction...) I swear to you that the next chapter will be for you especially.**


	8. NaruSaku: You Were My Everything

**Pairing: NarutoXSakura**

**Era: High School**

**Song: **_**'You Were my Everything' –**_**Aviation**

…

He sat all alone at that table, just watching the people pass by, minding their own lives. How long ago had he been one of them? Just going and living his life, not really thinking about the lives of others, too caught up in his own life? But now here he was, sitting alone and reflecting back on everything that's happened since his world fell apart. He no longer just walked by, ignoring the world around him. Now, he was the one watching, seeing the mistakes that other people make and knowing that he was once one of those people.

The hurt was still there. It's been months and the hurt was still there. One of his few friends left told him that it would always be there. "You'll always have a scar over your heart," his best friend, Sasuke, told him," Yeah, it will scab over and new skin will grow and the bleeding will stop…" Sasuke fixed his dark eyes on his broken best friend," But that scar will always be there. You'll always have that reminder of the thing you lost and that will never go away." And Naruto had to believe him. No one but Sasuke knew how he felt. No one but Sasuke knew the pain he had gone through. After all, Sasuke had lost Karin to Suigetsu, just like he lost Sakura to Lee.

"_This goes out to someone that was…_

_Once the most important person in my life_

_I didn't realize it at the time_

_I can't forgive myself for the way I treated you so…_

_I don't really expect you to either_

_It's just…I don't even know…Just listen…"_

Maybe he had it coming. Maybe it was his own fault that they fell apart. Lee could do things for Sakura that he never could. Lee could shower her with love and devotion, the things she needed most in life. Sakura was a flower, still growing and in need of rain and sunshine. Naruto made sure he was her sunshine, never letting harm or foul come to her. He tried being her knight in shining armour, always smiling and making her laugh.

But he forgot about the rain. He made her happy, but he shut her out at the same time. He didn't want to hurt her. He had his own problems, ones that he could barely handle himself, ones he didn't want her to weigh herself down with. He didn't really give her kisses; he somehow always forgot to get her presents on her birthday; he felt uncomfortable declaring his love for her in public loudly, like Lee always did.

Naruto frowned. Rock Lee had always loved Sakura, for years even. Yeah, the eccentric man stopped declaring his love for her when she began dating Naruto, but everyone knew his love never faded. Everyone, even Naruto, knew that he became her friend just so he could be close to her somehow, even if it wasn't the way he wanted. God, he should've seen it coming! Lee was always there for her, when _he_ should've been…

…

_You're the one that I want_

_The one that I need_

_The one that I gotta have just to succeed_

_When I first saw you_

_I knew it was real_

_I'm sorry about the pain I made you feel_

_That wasn't me_

_Let me show you the way_

_I look for the sun but it's raining today_

_I remember when I first looked into your eyes_

_It was like I was there; Heaven in the skies…_

_I wore a disguise cause I didn't wanna get hurt_

_But I didn't know I made everything worse…_

She had been so beautiful when they first met. It was a new year, their freshman year, and he had been so excited about finally being in high school. It was 3rd period gym: the game was volleyball. She had sauntered in, surrounded by her friends and fending off declarations of love from Rock Lee. Mid-smile, her emerald eyes had fallen on him and time froze. Naruto could only stand there, transfixed by her beauty and brilliant smile. He could only continue staring, even when she broke off from her friends and began walking towards him. In the end, Sasuke had to elbow him in the ribs before he came back to attention. By that time, she was standing in front of him, smiling that smile at him, complete with a tilt to her head.

"Hi, I'm Haruno Sakura," she greeted, opening her jade eyes to look into his cerulean ones and Naruto's breathing stopped," You guys must be new here." Sasuke glanced at his best friend, and seeing that he was out of commission, sighed and answered.

"Aa, we just transferred from Konoha. Our parent's opened a business here in Suna."

Her eyes lit up," A business? Cool. You'll have to show me sometime. I'm sure you'll like it here, even though we have some crazy teachers…" Almost simultaneously, they both glanced over at the ridiculous Maito Gai and his little clone, Rock Lee. Sasuke shuddered. Oh well, at least he was better than Orochimaru…

"So what are your names?" she asked, glancing back and forth between him and Naruto, who had finally remembered how to breathe.

"Hn, I'm Uchiha Sasuke."

"And you?" she looked back at Naruto, waiting for an answer. But he could only stare at her, unable to speak. Sasuke sighed again and stepped on the blonde's foot.

"Itai!" Naruto shot a glare at his best friend before looking back at Sakura. At her smile, his face turned red," N-Naruto. My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

…

_You told me we were crazy in love_

_But you didn't care when push came to shove_

_If you loved me as much as you said you did_

_Then you wouldn't have hurt me like I ain't shit_

_Now you push me away like you never even knew me_

_I love you with my heart, really and truly_

_I guess you forgot all the times that we shared_

_When I would run my fingers through your hair_

_Late nights, just holding you in my arms_

_I don't know how I could do you so wrong_

Just the other day, reality had slapped Naruto in the face like a bitch. After avoiding his ex to the best of his ability, he had stumbled across her in the library. Both had been shocked, surprised from being shoved into each other in between the aisles. He had blushed and stayed rooted to the floor. Her green eyes stared back up at him (he had grown so much in the past few years.) but she couldn't say anything either. It had only been a second, but felt like forever to Naruto. In the end, she apologized formally and stepped around him.

"Gomen nasai, Naruto-san," she bowed her head slightly and all but flew from the library. Her words echoed in his head as his eyes widened. She called him Naruto-_san_? What happened to Naruto-kun? Or Naru-chan? Yeah, he had always hated that pet name, but it had become their thing. He was her Naru-chan and she was his Saku-kun. Now he was Naruto-_san_?

Didn't she remember that he was here Naruto-kun? Late at night, it was all she would call him as they sat together, watching The Late Late Show. When they cuddled on the couch, just holding each other and laughing at inside jokes, he had been her everything. Even from day one, he had always been Naruto-kun. Just Naruto-kun…

…

_I really wanna show you_

_I really need to hold you_

_I really wanna know you like no one else can know you_

_You're number one; always in my heart_

_And now I can't believe that our love's torn apart_

_I need you and_

_I miss you and_

_I want you and_

_I love you cause_

_I wanna hold you_

_I wanna kiss you_

_You were my everything_

_And I really miss you_

_I need you and_

_I miss you and_

_I want you and_

_I love you cause_

_I wanna hold you_

_I wanna kiss you_

_You were my everything_

_And I really miss you_

He would be lying if he said he didn't miss her. God, he missed her so much. He missed her cherry colored hair, he missed her brilliant smile, he missed her perfect cooking and heartfelt made bento boxes, he missed everything about her. As he sat alone at the café on 8th street, he wished that she was there with him. He glanced up at the name of the café. This had always been there place, their favorite place to go for their lunch dates. Even after everything, he never stopped coming here.

No one knows, maybe he still came here in hopes of seeing her again. Even though he couldn't be here _with_ her, just being around her might make him feel a little bit of that old happiness. But she never came. She never had lunch here again, and that hurt him deep inside. After all, it was his parent's café…

…

_I know you're gonna sit_

_And play with your new man_

_And then sit and laugh_

_As you're holding his hand_

_The thought of that just shatters my heart_

_It breaks in my soul and it tears me apart_

_At times we were off_

_I was scared to show you_

_Now I wanna hold you until I can't hold you_

_Without you everything seems strange_

_Your name is forever planted in my brain_

He gathered his tray with food and sat next to his best friend. He was silent, something that was unusual for him. But lately, it was the normal for him. Sasuke just glanced at him, but said nothing. There wasn't really anything he could say.

"Hey," Kiba elbowed the Uchiha, catching his attention. Turning away from his conversation with Naruto, Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the Inuzuka. Kiba just pointed at the entrance.

Sasuke turned his head and frowned. There stood Sakura with her tray in her hands. She stood alone, looking around, obviously for somewhere to sit. She used to sit with them, as she was the one to introduce them to her group of friends. But she didn't sit here anymore. She hadn't been rejected by her friends, per say, but after the 'incident', she backed off. She just stopped coming, as if she knew the others were angry with her and didn't want her around. Maybe she thought they hated her for what she did, and maybe they did. Sasuke knew that he harbored some ill will towards her, as did Shino and Kiba. But at the same time, it hurt Naruto. Being the good guy he was, Naruto didn't like the hurt that came to her as well as him. On more than one occasion, Naruto had pleaded with them to not be too harsh on her and to just let it slide. Easier said than done, but no one said anything hateful towards the girl.

"Don't let Naruto see," Kiba warned Sasuke, knowing that the loving blonde would try to invite his ex girlfriend over to eat lunch with them. But it was too late. Naruto had already seen her.

To Naruto's credit, the others were surprised when he made no move to get up. Wasn't he going to try to talk to her? But their questions were answered when three other figures approached Sakura. Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee, all with trays in hand, walked up to her. Tenten offered the rosette a smile while Lee gently took her tray for her. The four of them sat together at a table of seniors.

"She's okay," Naruto spoke quietly and put a forkful of ramen in his mouth. Sasuke frowned, seeing how Naruto didn't inhale his ramen like usual. _'Yeah, but are __**you**__?' _he thought mentally, worried for his best friend.

…

_Damnit, I'm insane_

_Take away the pain_

_Take away the hurt_

_Baby, we can make it work_

_What about when you looked into my eyes_

_Told me you love me as you would hug me_

_I guess everything you said was a lie_

_I think about it; it brings tears to my eyes_

_Now I'm not even a thought in your mind_

_I can see clearly; my love is not blind_

_I need you and_

_I miss you and_

_I want you and_

_I love you cause_

_I wanna hold you_

_I wanna kiss you_

_You were my everything_

_And I really miss you_

_I need you and_

_I miss you and_

_I want you and_

_I love you cause_

_I wanna hold you_

_I wanna kiss you_

_You were my everything_

_And I really miss you_

Back at the café, he chuckled nostalgically, remembering all the times he had with his precious 'hime'. Or at least, that's what he thought of her back then. He just never got the heart enough to tell her to her face. Maybe if he had been brave enough to tell her how he felt and how much she meant to him, she would've stayed. But the past was the past and he couldn't change a damn thing about it. He had his chance and he blew it.

But damnit! It hurt like hell! What was he supposed to do? Move on with his life and act like it never happened? Like he told Sasuke, it would be a long time before this hurt faded away and it would most likely never disappear. He would always harbor a little part of mistrust in him for girls, for every female he would ever look at would remind him of Sakura. He would look at her and see someone else, the same person who broke his heart. He sighed deeply; he could just imagine himself years and years in the future, looking at a prospective girlfriend and only see how she reminded him of Sakura. It would be pathetic, really.

But for all he was worth, he couldn't find it in himself to hate her for it. Sakura had never really stomped on his heart, she had just given it back. Though he had given his heart to her, he never could give her what she really wanted, what she needed. She had needed unconditional love, someone who could shower her with affections everyday, someone who would never give her a moment to doubt her worth. Naruto hadn't been able to do that, but maybe Rock Lee could. As long as it made her happy…

_I just wish everything could have turned out differently  
I had a special feeling about you  
I thought maybe you did too  
You would understand, but…  
No matter what, you'll always be in my heart  
You'll always be my baby_

…

_Our first day, it seemed so magical  
I remember all the time that I had with you  
Remember when you first came to my house?  
You looked like an angel wearing that blouse_

We hit it off, I knew it was real  
But now I can't take all the pain that I feel  
Reach in your heart, I know I'm still there  
I don't wanna hear that you no longer care

Remember the times? Remember when we kissed?  
I didn't think you would ever do me like this  
I didn't think you'd wanna see me depressed  
I thought you'd be there for me, this I confess

You said you were my best friend, was that a lie?  
Now I'm nothing to you, you're with another guy  
I tried, I tried, I tried, and I'm trying  
Now on the inside it feels like I'm dying

The first time she had met his parents, his mother had fallen head over heels for her. Maybe it was because her pink hair was comparable to her own red locks, or maybe it was Sakura's sweet but fiery personality. Either way, it had made Naruto's heart flutter when his parent's openly gave their blessings to the young couple.

But he never told her how much it meant to him that she got along with his parents.

She never let on that it upset her, or perhaps she did and he just never picked up on the signs. All he saw was that bright smile and heard that sweet laughter. His happiness was always something she cared about, and she didn't want to bring his world crashing down around him. So she just kept on smiling, letting him believe that she was happy, if only to make him happy.

What a plan, huh? Here he was now, sitting all by his lonesome self, depressed over a girl who didn't love him anymore. Secretly, a small part of him wished that on some level, she was feeling the same, but his conscious quickly squashed it down. She hadn't meant to hurt him. She had just gotten brave enough to fight for her own happiness. She let him go so she could go out and live her own life. Naruto's happiness wasn't supposed to die. He had known that much when he saw her cry…

_I need you and  
I miss you and  
I want you and  
I love you 'cause  
I wanna hold you,  
I wanna kiss you  
You were my everything  
And I really miss you_

_I need you and  
I miss you and  
I want you and  
I love you 'cause  
I wanna hold you,  
I wanna kiss you  
You were my everything  
And I really miss you_

It had been one of Ino's parties. And of course, it involved anyone who was even remotely considered one of their friends. Someone had spiked the punch hours earlier, but no paid much mind and just kept drinking. Naruto knew he had a high tolerance, as well as Sakura, so he didn't worry much. His main concern was keeping Kiba away from the table in his determination to learn how to strip dance. He hadn't even noticed Sakura sitting by Rock Lee, talking happily with him. He only noticed when the two stood up and headed out the door. With suspicious thoughts, he handed Kiba over to Sasuke and followed them.

Lee had led her outside into the Yamanaka's beautiful rose garden. Looking around, Naruto thought it was gorgeous and a perfect romantic spot. Then he glanced back at Lee and Sakura; _he_ should not be here with his Sakura-chan!

They stood talking in the middle of the garden, unaware of the blonde spying on them from behind the bushes. Maybe Naruto was too afraid to make his presence unknown and force the two apart. Maybe he had some fear in his heart that they came out here for a romantic tryst. Maybe he wanted to catch her at it, to feel some anger. But whatever it was, he kept himself hidden and just watched.

They were talking lowly and he couldn't hear a damn thing. Sakura looked like she was starting to get irritated with Lee and had that cute scowl on her face. Eventually, the argument escalated and Lee cried out," I know you're not happy, my dear Sakura-chan! Why can't you just admit it?"

And with that, he swooped forward and met Sakura's lips in a kiss.

Naruto felt his heart crack in two and fall apart. Rock Lee was kissing his Sakura-chan. And what was this about: she wasn't happy? What had he meant about that?

"Lee!" Sakura pushed her suitor away with an incredulous look and berated him," How _dare_ you?"

Naruto felt his heart both rise and fall as Sakura rounded on Rock Lee," How dare you kiss me when you know I'm with Naruto-kun?"

"B-But, I know you're not happy with him, Sakura-chan," Lee defended.

Sakura's eyes softened with pain for a second, but that fiery resistance still held in her expression,"…I know… I know that, Lee, and I hate myself for it. Do you have any idea how much that would hurt him? I can't do that to Naruto-kun. I _won't_ do that to him, Lee. He's too important and he's a good person. He deserves better; better treatment, better than me. I want to leave, but I can't. Until he tires of me, I'll always be there for him and do what I can to make him happy."

"He's such a good person," tears began to fall down her cheeks," I can't hurt him." Then she ran, tears still in her eyes and Lee standing by himself. In the bushes, Naruto's heart was racing and he couldn't understand any of it. He waited until Lee left the garden as well before standing up. He needed to find Sasuke.

…

"Sakura," he called out to her in a solemn voice; he just couldn't find it in himself to smile at her like he used to. And she knew it. As soon as her eyes landed on him, her own eyes widened and her smile faltered. She knew.

"We need to talk," he began but she held a hand up to stop him. He obeyed and let her speak, watching her watery eyes as she explained herself.

"I know what you're going to say Naruto," she said, doing her best to hold back her tears," Sasuke told me that you saw Lee and I in the garden. And I don't want to hurt you anymore, so I won't let you take the fall."

"I won't put you through that," she continued, lowering her head and clutching onto her books as if they were her lifesavers," I've…I've taken care of anything. I'll let everything fall on me. It was my fault in the first place, so I'll pay for my mistakes." And before he could say anything, she ran off, no doubt to the girls' bathroom to cry her eyes out. Leaving Naruto all alone as he felt his heart break in two all over again.

That was the day the entire school heard from rumors that Haruno Sakura had cheated on Uzumaki Naruto with an unknown male from another school.

She had taken the blame for everything. For cheating on Naruto. For Rock Lee kissing her. Their names were clean, while hers would forever be dragged through the mud.

…

She would never let him tell the truth. She had made her choice and would not let him change it for her. Not even Sasuke knew the truth, that it was not what it seemed to be. They just continued on with their lives, but separately. Sakura always wanted for Naruto's happiness, and now he wished for her to be happy.

He still misses her and he probably always would. They could've been so much, but they'll never know now. He could only reminisce as he gazed down at the small letter sitting on the table. It had taken him so long to find the right words, to write this down. Today, it was ready. Tonight, it would be placed on Sakura's front doorstep. Tomorrow, she could put her heart at ease.

"_I do miss you  
I just thought we were meant to be  
I guess now, we'll never know  
The only thing I want is for you to be happy  
Whether it be with me, or without me  
I just want you to be happy"_

Maybe by taking some of her pain away, some of his would follow. It was time to start healing and he was determined. It was time for their worlds to stop shaking, time for their hearts to stop breaking, time to let themselves pick up the broken pieces. It was time to set all things right.

With a lifted heart, he stood from his little café table. Looking up at the sky, he smiled at the deep blue that met his eyes. It was a beautiful day, and he had only just noticed it now. Perhaps tomorrow would be just as beautiful…

Only time could tell…

…

** Here's out to all of you who have ever felt lonely, broken, and betrayed. It's time to let yourselves heal. Let yourself go and let your scars begin to stitch themselves back together. We will always have our memories, but we still have tomorrow. As the wise saying goes, you can't stop tomorrow. So embrace it. Let tomorrow be a beautiful day. **


	9. 911

**This post is not an author's note, nor a random chapter to throw in to keep everyone satisfied til the next chapter (which I promise will be soon), but this is just a quiet remembrance for what happened 10 years ago today. I'm not going to write a fic to honor the day or the families because I simply don't dare try. There are too many stories of familes torn apart; of people who fought against all odds and saved countless lives and sacrified their own; of children who didn't grow up knowing a parent; of people who have lived ten years without their other halves; of people who stand watching the pain and suffering of others, wishing they could do more.**

**I don't know what this day means to everybody else, but to many, I know it may mean everything. It may mean the anniversary of nearly 3,000 dead; the beloved people who died in the World Trade Centers; the 40 brave passengers who overtook the hijackers and crashed the plane into a field before it could reach its destination; and the lost lives at the Pentagon. Ten years later and families are still suffering. There are families with no mothers, no fathers, no brothers, no sisters, no chance to fill that hole that was left behind. Ten years later and we're still building up from ground zero. **

**Not too long ago, America reached a sense of closure at the death of Osama bin Laden. It wasn't about achieving a sense of vengeance, but about reaching closure at the thought that the one responsible was brought to justice. It was about knowing that the man who caused 9-11 can no longer cause such things, that there may be a turning point in the current war, and perhaps the 3,000 lost can rest in peace.**

**Hell, I even read an article of Obama visiting the three memorials for that tragic day and one such person thanked him for 'getting bin Laden.' I remember the day the news broke out on his death, and in front of the White House, a crowd of people stood all night, singing their relief at closure, grief for their lost ones, love for the ones they have left, and their pride in our country. **

**Ten years ago, America came together in a time of sorrow and grief and despair. Ten years later, we simply come together in a time of remembrance and honor.**


End file.
